Are Dental Implants Right For You?

By Craig Leffingwell, DMD

This is a question often asked by adults who are missing teeth–and for one reason or another they are not completely satisfied with their bridge or dentures. The answer usually is yes!

Although fluoride treatment and improved dental hygiene techniques have helped reduce tooth loss. Many adults are missing one or more if not all of their teeth. Usually, most teeth that are prematurely lost are replaced by your dentist because they help you chew your food and make your smile more attractive. Replacing missing teeth also helps slow down the appearance of facial aging associated with tooth and jawbone loss.

Traditionally, most teeth were replaced with dentures, fixed bridges, removable bridges or partial dentures. Fixed bridge tooth replacement requires that the healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth (or teeth) are prepared to support the bridge that will span the gap created by missing teeth.

The success of the bridge is completely dependent on the adjacent teeth. Complete or full dentures are used when all of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw are missing. These devices can be removed for daily cleaning and periodic maintenance. Many complete denture wearers have chronic problems with sore spots, looseness, and need to change their chewing and diet habits from when they had their own teeth.

For the past twenty years or more, dentists have been able to recommend Dental Implants as a replacement for missing teeth in a way that does not depend on or utilize adjacent healthy teeth!

Dental Implants are root replacements made out of titanium–the same metal used by orthopedic surgeons to replace hips and knees. Titanium is well tolerated by the body and provides an anchor to which your dentist can directly attach your replacement tooth. If you are missing more than one tooth, a wide variety of dental implant replacement options can be used to help restore your bite and ability to chew, and return your smile and facial muscle tone to a healthier and more satisfactory state. Dental implant supported replacement teeth are the closest thing to having your own teeth back in your mouth again!

There are very few people who are missing teeth who should not have dental implants. Age is not a factor–whether you are 20 or 90.

Dental implants are usually placed by an experienced dental team–usually a dental surgeon and a restorative dentist. If you would like more information about whether dental implants might be right for you, please contact your dentalimplantsonline practice.